Combined bat and ball magazine



Dec. 24, 1963 D. F. WEBSTER 3,115,342

COMBINED BAT AND BALL MAGAZINE Filed March 21, 1963 1 p. llrlallllllllnllullllnnu rulllllll DAVID F. WEB STEJZ INVENTOR.

KENDRKZK AND STOLZY ATTORNEYS.

3,115,342 CGMBINED BAT AND BALL MAGAZINE David F. Webster, 324 W. Baton, Fresno, Calif. Filed Mar. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 256,970 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-26) This invention relates toplaying balls, and more particularly to means for temporarily holding the same prior to their use.

Although the device of the present invention may have other applications and should not be limited to that specifically described herein, it has been found especially useful as an aid to batting practice for the game of baseball.

In the past, it has been common in batting practice for a batter to grasp a ball, to throw it into the air a short distance, and then quickly to grasp a bat with both hands and hit the ball. The throwing of the ball thus interferes with the actual batting practice sought for.

The above-described and other disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by providing a hollow bat having an opening thereinto and a ball magazine inside the bat to supply balls to the opening in the bat.

In this case, one ball at a time may be ejected from the bat opening by holding the opening uppermost and swinging the bat in an upwardly direction. Thus, both hands may be employedto grip the bat at the inner end thereof all the time the bat is being used. This means that the disturbing requirement of the prior art in requiring a batter to grasp a bat quickly after he has thrown a ball into the air is obviated. Interference with batting practice is thus avoided.

It is an outstanding advantage of the present invention that a hollow bat is employed. The inertia of the bat thus does not impair the necessary back swing required after a ball has been ejected from a bat opening.

The above-described and other advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bat constructed in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the bat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a prespective view of a portion of a device employed inside the bat shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the bat taken on the line 44 shown in FIG. 2.

In the drawing in FIG. 1, a bat lid is shown having a convex outer end 11 and a conventional handle or shank portion 12 with a conventional enlargement 13- thereon. Bat is hollow and is provided with an opening 14 as shown in both FIGS. 1 and 2. Eat it) may be made entirely of a conventional plastic material, as is conventional. Other than opening 14 and an insert 15 shown in FIG. 3, bat It may be entirely conventional.

Insert 15 is fixed to a portion 16 of the approximately cylindrical internal surface of bat it). As shown in FIG. 3, insert 15 is provided with a rectangular framework 17. a projection 18 is fixed to its rearward end. Another projection 19 is fixed to its forward end. An inclined tongue 20 is fixed to projection 19 and extends forwardly thereof toward outer end 11 of hat 1%. The enlargement upon the end of bat 1t) opposite outer end 11 may be described as an inner end 13.

Insert 15 may be fabricated independently of or integrally with bat 16. Insert 15 may also be made of a plastic material.

Projection 18, as shown in FIG. 4, provides stop means for a ball indicated at B1. The upper edge 21 of projec- States Patent 5 ice tion 18 is spaced a distance from the lower edge 22 of bat it less than the diameter of ball B1 to prevent the ball B1 from rolling past opening 14. Projection 19 holds ball B1 in position in opening 14. Inclined tongue 20 provides means by which a ball may more easily roll to the position of ball B1 as indicated in dotted lines at B2. Note will be taken from the relative dimension of ball B1 and bat 10, shown in the drawing, that several balls, for example at B3 and B4, may be employed in bat Ill and may extend from the position of hole 14 to the outer end 11 of bat 10.

Note will also be taken that the length of hole 14- may be less than twice the diameter of balls B to prevent more than one ball B from escaping from hole 14 at one time. However, if bat 10 is initially held in an inclined position downwardly from its inner end, centrifugal force generally will keep balls B3 and B4 from escaping from hole 14 when ball BI is ejected therefrom from the position shown in FIG. 4.

From the foregoing,'it will be appreciated that a batter may hold bat It} in a horizontal position with hole 14- positioned as shown in FIG. 1. Bat lit may be inclined downwardly from inner end 13 to a slight extent such that ball Bl will not roll off of projections 18 and 19. Bat ll! may then be swung upwardly and ball Bll ejected from hole 14, while centrifugal force holds balls B3 and B4 against outer end 11 of bat lit). Ball B1 may then be hit by the same bat 1%.

Note will be taken that it is an advantage of the present invention that centrifugal force holds balls B in the magazine from the left edge of hole 14 to outer bat end 11 when bat 10 is swung.

In accordance with the foregoing, the prior art interference of throwing a ball during batting practice is obviated in that both hands may be kept on bat 10 while ball B1 is ejected from hole 14'.

Further, inclined tongue 20 keeps balls B3 and B4 away from ball Bi. when it is being ejected from hole 14.

Although only one specific embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated herein, many changes and modifications will of course suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. This single embodiment has been selected for this disclosure for the purpose of illustration only. The present invention should therefore not be limited to the embodiment so selected, the true scope of the invention being defined only in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combined bat and ball magazine, the combination comprising: a baseball type bat including a straight, elongated tube-like body having a hollow interior, said body having a portion of a smaller diameter which may e grasped with the hands and a butt of a larger diameter, said body having first and second ends, said second body end being at the position of one end of said butt, the said end of said but-t being closed to prevent any balls inside of said bat from escaping thereat; a plurality of balls rollable in said bat butt, said body having a hole extending transversely therethrough throughout a predetermined arcuate portion therearound at an axial position therealong spaced a distance from said second end thereof, said hole having a size to permit only one of said balls at a time to be ejected upwardly out of said hollow interior of said body when said body is flipped upwardly with said hole uppermost, said body hollow interior extending from said hole toward said second body enda distance sufii'oiently great to prevent the escape of one ball therein when another ball is being ejected from the hollow interior :of said body through said hole; and means fixed within said bat to hold a ball in longitudinal registry with said hole.

2. In a combined bat and ball magazine, the combination comp-rising: a baseball type bat including a straight, elongated tube-like body having a hollow interior, said body having a portion of a smaller diameter which may be grasped with the hands and a butt of a larger diameter, said body having first and second ends, said second body end being at the position of one end of said butt, the said end of said butt being closed to prevent any balls inside of said bat from escaping thereat; a plurality of balls rollable in said bat butt, said body having a hole extending transversely therethrough throughout a predetermined arcuate portion therearound at an axial position therealong spaced a distance from said second end thereof, said hole having a size to permit only one of said balls at a time to be ejected upwardly out of said hollow interior of said body when said body is flipped upwardly with said hole uppermost, said body hollow interior extending from said hole toward said second body end a distance sufiicicntly great to prevent the escape of one ball therein when another ball is being ejected from the hollow interior of said body through said hole, said body having a construction to provide stop means at one axial extremity of said hole spaced farther from said second body end than the other axial extremity thereof, said step means being arranged to contact a ball to prevent the same from rolling past said one axial hole extremity in the direction of said first body end thereof; and a projection fixed within said bat spaced from said stop means and extending transversely of said bat toward said hole from an arcuate position around the interior of said bat opposite said predetermined arcuate portion to prevent movement of a ball from a position between said projection and said stop means toward the said end of said butt.

3. In a combined bat and ball magazine, the combination comprising: a baseball type bat including a straight, elongated tube-like body having a hollow interior, said body having a portion of a smaller diameter which may be grasped with the hands and a butt of a larger diameter, said body having first and second ends, said second body end being at the position of one end of said butt, the said end of said butt being closed to prevent any balls inside of said bat from escaping thereat; a plurality of balls rollable in said bat butt, said body having a hole extending transversely therethnough throughout a predetermined arcuate portion therearound at an axial position therealong spaced a distance from said second end thereof, said hole having a size to permit only one of said balls at a time to be ejected upwardly out of said hollow interior of said body when said body is flipped upwardly with said hole uppermost, said body hollow interior extending from said hole towand said second body end a distance sufficiently great to prevent the escape of one ball therein when another ball is being ejected from the hollow interior of said body through said hole, said body having a construction to provide stop means at one axial extremity of said hole spaced farther from said second body end than the other axial extremity thereof, said stop means being arranged to contact a ball to prevent the same from rolling past said one axial hole extremity in the direction of said first body end therefrom; and means fixed within said bat to hold a ball in transverse registry with said holev 4. In a combined bat and ball magazine, the combination comprising: a baseball type bat including a straight, elongated tube-like body having a hollow interior, said body having a portion of a smaller diameter which may be grasped with the hands and a butt of a larger diameter, said body having first and second ends, said second body end being at the position of one end of said butt, the said end of said butt being closed to prevent any balls inside of said bat from escaping thereat; a plurality of balls rollable in said bat butt, said body having a hole extending transversely therethrough throughout a predetermined arcua-te portion therearound at an axial position therealong spaced a distance from .said second end thereof,

said hole having a size to permit only one of said balls at a time to be ejected upwardly out of said hollow interior of said body when said body is flipped upwardly with said hole uppermost, said body hollow interior extending from said hole toward said second body end a distance sufiiciently great to prevent the escape of one ball therein when another ball is being ejected from the hollow interior of said body through said hole, said body having a construction to provide stop means at one axial extremity of said hole spaced farther from said second body end than the other axial extremity thereof, said stop means being arranged to contact a ball to prevent the same from rolling past said one axial hole extremity in the direction of said first body end therefrom, a projection fixed within said bat spaced from said step means and extending transversely of said bat toward said hole from an arcuate position round the interior of said bat opposite said predetermined arcuate portion to prevent movement of a ball from a position between said projection and said stop means toward the said end of said butt; and means fixed within said bat to hold a ball in transverse registry with said hole.

5. In a combined bat and ball magazine, the combination comprising: a baseball type bat including a straight, elongated tube-like body having a hollow interior, said body having a portion of a smaller diameter which may be grasped with the hands and a butt of a larger diameter, said body having first and second ends, said second body end being at the position of one end of said butt, the said end of said butt being closed to prevent any balls inside of said oat from escaping thereat; a plurality of balls roll-able in said bat butt, said body having a hole extendin g transversely therethrough throughout a predetermined arcuate portion therearound at an axial position therealong spaced 3. distance from said second end thereof, said hole having a size to permit only one of said balls at a time to be ejected upwardly out of said hollow interior of said body when said body is flipped upwardly with said hole uppermost, said body hollow interior extending from said hole toward said second body end a distance sufficiently great to prevent the escape of one ball therein when another ball is being ejected from the hollow interior of said body through said hole; and a pair of spaced longitudinal projections fixed relative to and extending into the interior of said bat at an arcuate position opposite said predetermined arcuate portion to hold a ball in transverse registry with said hole.

6. In a combined bat and ball magazine, the combination comprising: a bat including an elongated tube-like body having a peripheral wall defining a hollow interior, said body having first and second ends; a plurality of balls rollable in said hollow bat interior, said body having a hole extending transversely through said peripheral wall throughout a predetermined areuate portion thereanound at an intermediate axial position along said body spaced from said first and second body end-s, said body being hollow from the axial position of said hole to an axial position between said second body end and said hole, said second body end being closed to prevent any balls inside said body from escaping out of said second body end, said hole having a size to permit only one of said balls at a time to be ejected upwardly out of said hollow interior of said body when said body is hipped upwardly with said hole uppermost, said body hollow interior extending from said second body end a distance sufficiently great to prevent the escape of one ball therein when another ball is being ejected from the hollow interior of said body through said hole; and means fixed with said bod-y to hold a ball in longitudinal registry with said hole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 514,420 Jacobus Feb. 6, 1894 

6. IN A COMBINED BAT AND BALL MAGAZINE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A BAT INCLUDING AN ELONGATED TUBE-LIKE BODY HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL DEFINING A HOLLOW INTERIOR, SAID BODY HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS; A PLURALITY OF BALLS ROLLABLE IN SAID HOLLOW BAT INTERIOR, SAID BODY HAVING A HOLE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID PERIPHERAL WALL THROUGHOUT A PREDETERMINED ARCUATE PORTION THEREAROUND AT AN INTERMEDIATE AXIAL POSITION ALONG SAID BODY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODY ENDS, SAID BODY BEING HOLLOW FROM THE AXIAL POSITION OF SAID HOLE TO AN AXIAL POSITION BETWEEN SAID SECOND BODY END AND SAID HOLE, SAID SECOND BODY END BEING CLOSED TO PREVENT ANY BALLS INSIDE SAID BODY FROM ESCAPING OUT OF SAID SECOND BODY END, SAID HOLE HAVING A SIZE TO PERMIT ONLY ONE OF SAID BALLS AT A TIME TO BE EJECTED UPWARDLY OUT OF SAID HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID BODY WHEN SAID BODY IS FLIPPED UPWARDLY WITH SAID HOLE UPPERMOST, SAID BODY HOLLOW INTERIOR EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND BODY END A DISTANCE SUFFICIENTLY GREAT TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF ONE BALL THEREIN WHEN ANOTHER BALL IS BEING EJECTED FROM THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID BODY THROUGH SAID HOLE; AND MEANS FIXED WITH SAID BODY TO HOLD A BALL IN LONGITUDINAL REGISTRY WITH SAID HOLE. 